What's better than one urban mission?
Four, of course!
This is the answer that the nine churches in the Salt Pan Creek Area Deanery in Sydney's South-West have come to.
The churches will pair up together and be joined by Moore College mission teams from this weekend through to May 8.
The Area Dean of Salt Pan Creek and Rector of Christ Church, Peakhurst/Mortdale, the Rev David Wallace, says the common theme for the mission is "Peace in our time'.
"In a world of terrorism and warfare, we hope to see a time of peace in our community and the world," he says.
"The local ministers came together and decided we should run a series evangelistic meetings and outreach activities. With the added impetus of a Moore College team, our churches can run events that we couldn't normally."
The Rector of St Aidan's, Hurstville Grove, the Rev Matt Yeo says the aim of the mission is twofold.
"Predominantly, the purpose is to see the kingdom grow. Secondly, our people have a vision for a week of focussed evangelism every year. It's broadening our own people's horizons about evangelism. Hopefully it can be spring board into regular personal evangelism."
Alcohol will be turned into a tool for sharing the gospel with a number of Bible study groups running wine tasting evenings, gourmet food nights, and pub evangelism as various ways of reaching out to the community.
The Assistant Minister of St Aidan's, Hurstville Grove, the Rev Adam Burke, is involved in a "Spirituality in the pub' event.
"We've booked out a room in the pub. You grab a beer, have a chat with your mates, then someone will get up and give a 5 to 10 minute Bible talk," says Mr Burke.
The planned highlight of the mission week is the combined youth night on the Friday night.
"All the groups are getting together at Christ Church, Mortdale. That's seven youth groups. We're hoping to have 150 from the youth groups combined and hoping for 100 to 150 visitors," he says.
The Rector of St Bede's, Beverly Hills, the Rev Peter Hayward has put the organisation of the mission into the hands of his parishioners and encouraged them to use their different networks to generate events.
"Rather than putting on events for people to come to, we are operating a "go to them' model. I have asked parishioners to work out what they think would work in their different relational networks, and then we can help them introduce their friends, acquaintances and workmates to Jesus."
"A few people have invited friends from work out for lunch and we will go there and run a small event."
The parishes of Oatley and Oatley West are combining to focus on children's ministry.
The Rector of St Paul's, Oatley, the Rev Mark Eaton, says the influx of young families moving into the area has made a "kids mission' a strategic event.
"We're really going for the kids. Oatley is a growth area again so we're running a kids' club from 3:30pm to 5pm every afternoon."
"We have Quizworks coming out every afternoon and they are running a half hour session before kids' club on the theology of teaching children about the kingdom of God. It's great training for the mission team members."
Mr Eaton says there are no after-school clubs currently running in the area so he and the Rector of All Saints, Oatley West, the Rev Chris Baxter are looking at kids' club as being a long term ministry.
"We're going to approach the Archbishop and see if we can get a kids' club to go for the whole year with the two churches running it together."
